Dan Mechling
INSTRUCTOR
Dan Mechling is a fireman with 20+ Years of experience. Starting in 2001, Dan served his Pennsylvania community as a volunteer firefighter before making the fire service his career in 2011. Dan’s love/hate relationship with rope rescue started when rope and knots didn't come as easily for him as skills in other technical rescue disciplines. Through training, advanced classes, and personal discipline, Dan developed his rope skills and learned to love all things rope.
Fast forward to present day, Dan was promoted to technical rescue technician in 2020 and lieutenant in 2023, also serving as a paramedic, for Fairfax Country Fire and Rescue Department where he rides one of the four TROT rescue squads. He is a rescue specialist and member of Virginia VaTF-1/USA-1 USAR team. He is the current discipline lead for Fairfax County’s Technical Rescue Operations Team rope program. Additionally, he has instructed rope rescue for fire department students in Pennsylvania.
When Dan isn't at work or teaching at the academy, he can be found in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, snowboarding, or enjoying time with his family on Lake Anna in Virginia. Dan has been married for 15 years and has two beautiful daughters.